If we stay the night in Windsor, can we get from there to the Amtrak Station in Detroit in time for a train at 11.20? Are there buses or would we have to get a taxi and would that be expensive?
We are going on to Kalamazoo and can get Greyhound all the way but we have a 2 hour wait in Detroit.The train leaves at 11.20 and only takes 3 hours!
Thanks for any help
There is no direct route from Windsor to the Amtrak Station in Detroit. You would have to take a cab. With tunnel fares and trip you are looking at around $40 - $50 bucks.
The Detroit Station (once you are through Customs and Immigration) is about a 20 minute ride (max).
2 hours in the Detroit Greyhound station would be a drag. I've been there and don't recall any places to eat and there is nothing near by--in fact I would highly recommend staying put inside the station if you go by bus.
You never know just how long it take to clear US customs-my last time somebody on my bus tried to get in with no passport, he was a good 20 min delay and of course wasn't allowed in after all that time..I believe he stayed back at customs for the return bus later.
So the 2 hour delay while long would mean you would not miss the Kalamazoo bus if passing through customs takes longer then expected.
I never took to train so no help there, maybe listed your question in the Detroit Michigan USA forums
Edited: 6:30 pm, February 11, 2013
Hi ethne30;
As a citizen of Scotland, upon entering the US you will be required to obtain an I-94W Visa Waiver, in addition to having your passport. To obtain the waiver, you will be photographed, fingerprinted, and pay a fee of $6 US.
You can NOT pre-apply for the Visa Waiver.
The I-94W visa waiver must be surrendered when you leave the United States. This may be a card that is stapled into your passport, or it may be “electronically” attached.
The process of obtaining the I-94W waiver takes on average ½ an hour.
Best Regards
Hi Rescue Team
Thanks for that information.
We already have an ESTA which we got online and paid for.
Do we need a Vias Waiver as well as that?
We have had a green card stapled to our passport in the past but I thought that the ESTA had replaced that.
I suppose the Greyhound will wait for us if we are held up?
Thanks again.
Hi ethne30;
The American ESTA program is NOT used for land crossings from Canada into the US.
Yes, you will be required to apply for an I-94W Visa Waiver, at the border.
Yes, the bus will wait until all the passengers are processed through US Customs.
Best Regards
Edited: 6:03 pm, February 12, 2013If, however, you flew into the United States earlier on the same trip, then crossed into Canada, you shouldn't have to deal with the I-94W at the border.
The Visa Waiver Program is mostly the same whether you arrive by air or land. If arriving by air, you use ESTA to submit your info and get pre-authorized to travel to the US. If you arrive by land, you write out your info on the I-94W form. In both cases, it's the border officer who determines whether or not you can actually enter the country.
Greyhound will wait for you to clear customs but the Kalamazoo bus from the Detroit station will not if you are not at the station. So again, that 2 hour standby might not be the full 2 hours, my bus has been 45 mins late getting to the Detroit station, maybe an hour. (I know my ride wasn't too happy waiting and I didn't call them until we crossed the Detroit river but didn't clear customs yet)
Edited: 9:47 pm, February 12, 2013Thanks Rescueteam,mattInTO and stillsmoking for all that information.
Now we know what we have to do and probably the 2 hour wait will be useful! That has made my mind up about getting the Greyhound all the way rather than the tunnel bus & a cab.
